Liverpool will reportedly demand “at least £80 million” if they’re to consider selling emerging superstar Mohamed Salah, who is described as a “key figure” in Real Madrid’s remodelling plans.

Marc Williams of the Daily Star cited a report from Transfermarketweb alleging the fee at which the Reds may start to weigh up a sale, although any departure for the Egypt international looks unlikely at present.

A winter move for the player is almost certainly out of the question after Liverpool begrudgingly sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in a deal that could rise to £142 million, making another key exit unlikely.

The Guardian‘s Sid Lowe laid out the payment plan making up Coutinho’s sale, with £106 million of that fee up front, and while his departure was a major loss, Fox Sports presenter Daniel Garb hailed Salah’s rise as a softener:

Daniel Garb @DanielGarb

In Torres, Sterling, Suarez &amp; now Coutinho (2nd highest) – 4 of the 25 priciest footballers ever have departed #LFC. £142 mill is crazy but again it’s another special talent leaving &amp; a blow to the campaign, albeit lesser than the one expected pre-season due to Salah’s emergence.

2018-1-6 23:17:04

Real’s interest in Salah appears to be genuine, too, after several sources recently appeared to corroborate the notion Los Blancos are tracking his progress at Anfield.

Manuel Salinero of Spanish daily AS referenced Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, who has said Real will target Salah as their next Galactico recruit. The Reds already stand to make huge profit on the man they signed from AS Roma this past summer for an initial fee of €42 million.

It’s almost impossible to believe Salah would follow Coutinho out the Anfield exit in this transfer window, but Real boss Zinedine Zidane also effectively confirmed as much. When asked if he would be signing new players this month, per Salinero, he replied: “We don’t need anyone. I don’t want anyone.“

Salah has netted a total of 23 times in 29 appearances for the Reds this season, and statistician Simon Gleave recently nodded to his Premier League ratio as that of a player taking his chances and then some:

Simon Gleave @SimonGleave

So, here is a list for the Premier League based on @GracenoteLive data:

Harry Kane – should have 18 goals, has 18 goals
Mohamed Salah – should have 13, has 17
Romelu Lukaku – should have 13, has 10
Alvaro Morata – should have 11, has 10
Raheem Sterling – should have 10, has 14

2018-1-5 14:26:45

It’s no surprise talk of a move for the winger is intensifying just as Real poster boy Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be on a downward slope at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, too.

Despite struggling for success in a previous 18-month spell at Chelsea, Salah’s career has gone from strength to strength under Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and he was recently named 2017 African Football of the Year, via ESPN FC:

ESPN FC @ESPNFC

The moment Mohamed Salah was crowned African Footballer of the Year for 2017.

Full story: https://t.co/OgHJGbz6Oj https://t.co/NxiqJXt1oL

2018-1-5 14:00:06

Liverpool already look to have unearthed their next unique talent, but as Coutinho’s recent sale showed, money tends to talk in football.

Having already lost another of their headline stars to Barcelona in Coutinho, who followed Luis Suarez’s move to the Camp Nou several years prior, it now seems Real will be the ones to tempt a Reds talisman.